Malibu Sportster LX - The perfect wakeboarding boat
Written: Sep 07 '01
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Pros: Competition ski boat for a reasonable price. Excellent for wakeboarding.
Cons: Uses a lot of gas, V-8 is quite loud
The Bottom Line: This boat is perfect for people wanting a high quality ski boat for a reasonable amount of money.
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| mdjohns's Full Review: Malibu Sportster LX |
I was in the market for a used boat in the spring of 2001. I am an avid wakeboarder and was looking for a ski boat that would be sufficient for wakeboarding without being overly expensive. I experienced some serious sticker shock when I looked at used Mastercrafts and Ski Nautiques as well as some of the higher end Malibu’s. I eventually gave up hope that I would be able to afford a true competition ski boat, and began to look at used bow riders such as Sea Rays and Four Winns.
One day while perusing Ebay.com I ran across an auction for a 1998 Malibu Sportster LX with 333 hours, a 310-HP Vortec V-8, JVC CD Player, bowrider, and a bimini top with trailer. I contacted the seller to discover he was the owner of the largest Malibu dealer in the United States, Fun Sun Marine in Columbus, Ohio. He was trying to liquidate his used inventory and decided to sell this boat on Ebay. I placed a bid for the boat at $14k thinking I would be quickly outbid since most Malibu’s like this go for around $18K. Well 6 hours later I was the proud owner of a Malibu!
Now don’t think I made this purchase without doing my homework. I used the NADA pricing guide found at www.nadaguides.com and knew that I was getting a good deal. The dealer gave me the basic warranty, the only risk was I had only seen six pictures of the boat and not in person. When the boat arrived a couple weeks later it was better than I even expected.
The styling of the boat is very impressive. The hull of the boat is very sleek to minimize drag. The dash board included a depth finder, two spedometers, as well as the oil pressure and engine temperature.
The seats are laid out in the classic ski boat configuration with the observers seat next to the driver. The engine is located under a dome in the center of the boat. The LX model breaks the traditional ski boat form by adding an open bow that fits two people.
The Vortec engine is very impressive. It is 310-HP and drinks plenty of gasoline, but is well worth it when you are pulling heavy skier on a slalom ski. The boat gets up to full speed of 50MPH within seconds. The handling is very nice at mid to high speeds, but is more difficult at lower speeds due to the fixed position of the propeller and the use of a rudder. People used to outboard boats will have a learning experience when docking this boat for the first time
Wakeboarding is exceptional behind this boat. My boat came with the optional attachment called “The Wedge” A patented hydrofoil that enhances the wake for getting “air”. It is equivalent to adding 1000lbs. of downward force to the rear of the boat. This attachment raises the level of performance of most wakeboarders to the next level. See http://www.malibuboats.com/bfoto.asp?ID=25&PID=97 for more information.
After having the boat for four months here is what I determined:
What I like about the Malibu Sportster LX:
Powerful Vortec V8 engine
Seats 8 people comfortably
World class ski boat for reasonable money
Great styling
High quality teak swim platform
High quality trailer
What I dislike about the Malibu Sportster LX:
Not much, honestly
Carburated engine is louder than comparable fuel injected engines
Poor fuel economy (what do you expect with 310-HP!)
CD Player is located under the right armrest of the driver. Makes it difficult for others to use the radio. As long as I am driving I don’t mind :)
My family has really enjoyed this boat this summer. I highly recommend it to anyone that is into water skiing or wakeboarding, but does not want to spend more than $20K.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 14000
Brand of Motor: Mariner
Primary Location of Use: Large lakes and reservoirs
Primary Type of Use: Skiing
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Epinions.com ID:
mdjohns
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 2 members
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